Bert van der Sluijs. My autonomous work consists multidimensional collage compositions. In his sculptures (often made out of found objects) irony, delight and oppression struggle priority.
My work has a theatrical character. This is no surprise, because as a theatre designer he creates and builds decors for the stage, film and television.
I also provide other artists artistically and technical support and coaches art projects of colleagues.

work#art – artists duo with Douwe Buwalda – established in 2010.
Creating art we work together, each starting from our own ideas and inventions, inviting us to react on what comes up in our minds. Searching to express what lives inside, a common perspective develops in our eyes. That process keeps us sharp, like both sides of a knife. The working of that knife on its turn, gives the work the opportunity to make space for itself, growing into what it intends to be.
We also keep on looking for new settings for the images, to give them the opportunity to start their own life in giving a new shape by meaning and aura. So locations are an important factor too.
The work on its turn changes the setting into a new environment for the visitor. And that change of scenery represents a new framework for us to concentrate on further perspectives and themes and motivates us to create new work elsewhere. So our artwork is never done.
Like Dutch poet Rutger Kopland says: ‘if you find something, you didn’t look for it properly’

1976 Graduate teacher in visual arts at Academy for Visual Arts in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Specialization:
Ceramics in wood burn kilns & Using time and space in 3D installations.
1975 – 2004 Working as a teacher at several creative education platforms.
1980 – 2008 Working as designer and constructor of stage-scenery for Theatre, Film and T.V.
1998 – now Working up his way as a professional visual artist.

exhibitions projects etc:

2014 Balancing, a work#art a collaboration project with four young Vietnamese artists to make an art-installation. As part of Meeting Point, an exhibition of Dutch visual artists in the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, Ho Chi Minh City, VietNam

2014 Presence of absence, absence? Presenting an art installation, for the first time in our own gallery: work#art Toonzaal in Kampen, The Netherlands

2014 * launch Huize Maria as an artist in residence facility in combination with work#art Toonzaal Kampen, the Netherlands

2014 * launch workheart Foundation, facilitating work#art products, projects and reflections to develop, produce and exhibit design, autonomous art, art projects and installations and organize educational activities, lectures and presentations for promotion of art and life as an artwork worldwide. Where appropriate in collaboration with other artists and disciplines.

2011 ExLibris Installation and performance at 2 locations: Monastery Garden of Museum Elburg en Gem. Expositieruimte the former Synagogue Stedelijk Museum in Kampen. A growing process in four seasons, made visible in scrap, encyclopedia and live stream connection. Continuing in Elburg until winter 2012, ending up in an autonomous work: buried art seeds.

2007 Cooperation with theater group Stella Den Haag in making a theatre performance called En Zo Voort, incorporating the autonomous, moving sculpture Voetencarrousel in Studio The Hague, the Netherlands

2007 Design and construction of stage scenery for mobile theatre by order of Theatre Foundation De Kofferbak, Kampen.

2007 An integrated visual art installation, poetry and : Openbarstig Weerbaar, overgave aan een kunstwerk. Location: In and outside the Koornmarktspoort, an old city gate building in Kampen The Netherlands An occasional collective with Bas van Damme (Middelburg Nl)

2006 Vanzelfsprekend. Design and realization of a visual art installation with live stream connection between two military guardhouses in the route of Weg Van Kunst

2006 Co-design and realization of scenery for theatrical production Fruits de Mer, together with Jan Willem van der Schoot (Rotterdam NL) for theater company Vis-à-Vis, Theater festival Almere Poort, the Netherlands